New One-of-a-Kind Dog DNA Tests Give Purebred and Designer Dog Owners Unprecedented Wisdom

ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- It may look like a purebred Labrador but is it really? Is your "Puggle" really bred from a first generation Beagle -- or something that just resembles a Beagle? For curious owners who don't have pedigree documents for their beloved dogs, two new DNA tests announced today can finally answer those nagging questions and may help them take better care of the health of their pets.

Mars Veterinary™, a global leader in pet care and canine genetic breed identification has expanded its range of dog DNA analysis products with two new one-of-a-kind genetic tests.

Wisdom Panel® Purebred and Wisdom Panel Designer Dog certification tests can help satisfy owner curiosity and give them the knowledge to care for their specific dog type. The new tests, available online now at www.wisdompanel.com, evaluate the genetic patterns within a dog compared with the genetic signatures observed in Mars Veterinary's database of known purebred dogs.

Wisdom Panel Purebred and Designer Dog

The state-of-the-art Wisdom Panel Purebred and Designer Dog tests – the only dog DNA tests designed specifically for testing purebred and designer dogs – both comprise a “do-it-yourself” cheek swab, allowing owners to simply administer the test at home and mail back the samples in a pre-paid package. Within three weeks of receipt of the swab sample, dog owners can expect to receive an e-mail notifying them that their official Ancestry Report is ready.  The Purebred dog test results will confirm based on the extensive Wisdom Panel data base whether the dog’s ancestry consists of a single breed over four generations. The Designer Dog test results will similarly confirm whether the dog is a first generation cross between two purebred dogs from different breeds which forms a true hybrid between the two purebred parents. Both tests are available online at www.wisdompanel.com for the low price of $69.99 each.

Between its existing Wisdom Panel Insights and Wisdom Panel Professional Canine Genetic Analysis DNA tests and the revolutionary new products, Mars Veterinary with a goal to set a national standard to breed classification for both purebred and designer dogs – a move that it hopes will discourage irresponsible breeding practices. It also will assist all dog owners in making more informed decisions about the health and wellness of their pets.

Understanding Disease Predisposition

Understanding a dog's true genetic makeup won't make owners love their dogs any less -- but knowing what to look for from a disease predisposition perspective may help them take better care of their pets.

"Wisdom Panel Purebred and Designer Dog tests may unearth a breed history that owners never even suspected," said Dr. Angela Hughes, Veterinary Genetics Research Manager at Mars Veterinary. "Knowledge of the true breed makeup of a dog can help owners work with their vets to be on the lookout for certain diseases they never would have suspected and increase the chances their dog lives a healthy and happy life."

The Science Behind Wisdom Panel

Wisdom Panel canine DNA analyses are based on more than a decade of extensive research, drawing from expertise of leading scientists, veterinarians, universities breed organizations throughout the world and the Waltham® Center.  This science has also yielded the swab-based Wisdom Panel Insights, the most comprehensive swab product on the market and Wisdom Panel Professional, the only blood-based canine DNA analysis available exclusively through veterinarians. Wisdom Panel development included the analysis of more than 19 million DNA markers from more than 13,000 dogs, enabling the detection of breed composition of dogs with unprecedented accuracy.

About Mars Veterinary™

Mars Veterinary is a division of MARS® Incorporated, a company known for innovative consumer and pet food brands that are trusted by people around the world.  Its mission is to facilitate responsible pet care by enlightening pet owners and communities with valuable insights into their pets as individuals through innovative, science-based discoveries. For more than a decade, Mars Veterinary has researched and developed state-of-the-art genetic tests for mixed-breed dogs, revolutionizing personalized pet care. By discovering a dog's ancestry, pet owners and veterinarians can work together to tailor wellness programs that fit the needs of a dog. For more information, visit www.wisdompanel.com.

About Mars, Incorporated

In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars' first roots as a confectionery company.  In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar.  In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the philosophy of a "mutuality of benefits" for all stakeholders -- this vision serves as the foundation of the Mars, Incorporated we are today.  Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $30 billion and six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks and Symbioscience.  More than 65,000 Associates worldwide are putting our Mars Principles in action every day to make a difference for people and the planet through our performance.

Mars brands include: Chocolate -- M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Petcare -- PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, SHEBA®, CESAR® and ROYAL CANIN®; Wrigley -- ORBIT®, EXTRA®, STARBURST®, DOUBLEMINT® and SKITTLES®; Food -- UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS® and SEEDS OF CHANGE®; Drinks -- ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA CO.™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience -- SERAMIS®, CIRKU™ and COCOAVIA™.

For more information, please visit www.mars.com.

SOURCE Mars Veterinary